Recession decays dental care

It's not just the stock market and the nation's job market feeling the sting of the recession — dental care is also feeling the painful decay of the economy.

"Hundreds of thousands of people are opting out of dental insurance, because they think it's not a necessary evil," said James Ekbatani, CEO of Winter Park-based CorporateDentalPlans.com. "So we said, 'Let's search for an alternative that makes sense.'"

CorporateDentalPlans.com and TheDentalCard.com are discount dental care programs that give individuals dental care coverage options.

The program is an alternative to insurance and offers over 30 different plans to suit the needs of individuals, families or companies. It can save consumers up to 60 percent on dental services, regardless of pre-existing conditions, and has enrolled more than 100,000 dentists nationwide.

"Even if you have insurance … you end up paying a premium for every month for dental insurance and it's limited to maybe a thousand dollars in benefits, but with the dental card … you're not paying for all these premiums and only getting a maximum of maybe a thousand dollars," he said.

Dino Soriano, a member of the plan, said he saved 600 dollars on a crown he recently received.

"It paid for itself five times over," he said. "And the service was great."

James Ekbatani said he is hoping more people take advantage of the low-cost dental plan because dental care is not something that should be neglected.

Lack of proper dental care can lead to serious health conditions, such as sight problems, strokes and heart attacks.

"Health care and dental care go hand-in-hand … and periodontal disease affects 75 percent of people over 35," Ekbatani said. "We focus a lot on prevention."

Dental resources for your child

Toothache pain is miserable for anyone, but especially for kids. In most cases, pain from decayed and abscessed teeth can be prevented by having routine exams and xrays to check between the teeth. Dental problems are best treated as soon as they are discovered.

Children in Colorado are fortunate to have access to dental care regardless of their income level. The best source for kids, especially if they have multiple problems, is a pedodontist. This is a dental specialist who has had at least 2 years of training beyond dental school. Not only do are they trained in the latest dental procedures, they also have extensive training in behavior management for kids.
Many pedodontists accept Medicaid and CHP in their private practice, so if a child is covered by either of these, they can be seen by a specialist. Many of the children’s dental offices around town are not staffed by pedodontists, but by general dentists. It is a good idea to check before taking your child for their first visit.

If a family earns too much to qualify for Medicaid and does not have dental insurance, the next resource is Children’s Health Plan Plus (CHPS+). It is administed by Delta Dental and children can be seen at numerous private practices and children’s clinics.

Kids In Need of Dentistry, or KIND, is one of the oldest dental non-profits in the U.S. It was started in 1912 here in Denver to provide dental care to low-income children. There is a clinic at Morey Middle School in Denver as well as clinics in Adams County and Colorado Springs, plus a mobile clinic that travels around the metro area and rural parts of the state. Medicaid and CHP are accepted, but not traditional insurance. If a child has no coverage, they can still be seen for just 10% of regular dental care plus a $20 per-visit fee.

The Healthy Smiles Dental Clinic is at the University Of Colorado Medical Center in Aurora and is a partnership of the dental school and Children’s Hospital. Pedodontic residents as well as undergraduate dental students treat children in a 4000 square foot clinic. If a child has no dental coverage through Medicaid, CHP, or insurance, special payment arrangements are made. There are no residency requirements for children treated there.